
This will most likely chop off part of your image, but if you follow the cropping rules described above this can add a fun, creative effect to certain pictures.Ĭropping is a photo editing basic that you will use often. You can also get creative with this tool and “unstraighten” an image. This is valuable for crooked images, especially for an image with a distinct horizon line, which would look better straight. The same cannot be said for the bottom of the face - do not remove someone’s chin! With the possible exception of Jay Leno, this is not a good look for anyone!Īnother technique you can use when cropping, is the straightening tool. We are used to seeing pictures of people with the top of their head cropped off. If you must crop the lower section, then don’t cut them off at the ankles or any other joint - crop in between joints. Try to include all of this in your viewfinder-you can always trim it down with cropping later if necessary. As a general rule if you are taking a picture of a person’s entire body then avoid leaving out only a small part-like a foot or part of a foot. Your subject will unintentionally look like an amputee.

If you crop a person’s image at a joint, the result is not good. When you are cropping photos of people avoid cropping them at natural joint locations-elbows, wrists, waist, knees, ankles, etc. I have just emphasized the importance and usefulness of cropping, but with that said, it is possible to crop too much! Over cropping, particularly when it is in the wrong place, makes for some awkward looking photos. If there are truly a lot of people or other items in the background you will not be able to crop them all out, but you may just see bits and pieces rather than entire bikini clad figures! Lots of background clutter can truly spoil an otherwise good image, so cropping is often the first step towards fixing it. Keep the Rule of Thirds in mind as you crop and begin to focus the photo area to get rid of distractions. Cropping is an invaluable tool for focusing in on your subject and removing as many of the background distractions as possible. What to do? Well, there are lots of sophisticated editing techniques that can be employed but your first line of defense is cropping.
BEST PHOTO CROP EDITOR FULL
You may have an entire memory card full of adorable images of your child playing at your local pool - with lots of adults who should invest in larger swimsuits in the background. Sometimes that is not possible though and this is where cropping comes in. As you become a more experienced photographer you will get better at placing your subjects in front of an appealing background. The background of your photo is also important. You can also use this rule when composing and cropping landscape images.īesides the placement of your subject, there are other things to consider when cropping. The rule of thirds still applies even if the subject is not looking at the camera. If you do not achieve this look straight out of the camera, you can crop to adjust the proportions of your picture. The photo below demonstrates this principle. Portrait photographers often place their subject’s body along a vertical line and the eyes (usually the focus of the picture) along a horizontal line. The idea is that photos are more pleasing to the eye and visually draw the viewer towards the subject when the focal point of the photo is along one of the lines or line intersections. The idea is to use these lines and the places where they intersect each other to help you place your subject in the photo.

BEST PHOTO CROP EDITOR SOFTWARE
If visualizing is not your thing, you are in luck because most editing software provides you with a grid overlay on your photo once you are using the cropping tool. You should be picturing a grid with three rows of three squares each. Imagine your photo with a grid of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines placed over it - effectively making nine equally sized squares. This is where the Rule of Thirds comes into play.

If you are the very neat and tidy, organized sort it may go against your gut instinct, but your photo will actually look better with your subject off center. When you take a picture of someone (or something), they should be directly in the center of the photo, right? Wrong! As you'll know if you've been reading my tips for a while, this is a common mistake made by beginner photographers.
